Zak O’Sullivan cannot continue his adventure in Formula 2 with ART
The ART GP driver, a member of the young driver academy at Williams, announced that he will not continue in the Formula 2 championship due to a lack of funding. The 19-year-old driver also stated that he is no longer part of the F1 team's junior program.
Another change of driver in Formula 2. After the successive announcements of Gabriele Mini at Prema, replacing Ollie Bearman who will drive in Formula 1 for Haas in Baku, and Christian Mansell, who will finish the season at Trident in place of Roman Stanek, another driver is leaving the Formula 2 championship. British driver Zak O’Sullivan, a driver at ART GP, announced that he will not continue his adventure in the championship. The winner of the main race in Monaco and the sprint race in Spa this season does not have the necessary funds to finish the season. The ART driver wanted to thank his team as well as Williams for the trust they have shown him.
« First of all, I would like to thank ART GP and Williams Racing for all the support they have given me, wrote the British team’s protégé. « This year, we have experienced incredible moments, with multiple victories and a highlight, the win at the Monaco race. Unfortunately, in our sport, there are more factors at play than just the stopwatch. The simple question comes down to funding: I will not be able to finish this F2 season with ART GP. I am disappointed that I cannot showcase my talents for the rest of the year, but I want to thank all my sponsors, Williams Racing, and all the supporters who have accompanied me throughout this adventure. »
The former British F4 champion has nevertheless remained enigmatic about his future, as he is no longer part of the Williams team and will therefore have to focus on financially less costly disciplines. « Your support has been invaluable, and I can’t wait to be able to drive again for you and with you soon. What is the next step? We are working on it with Williams Racing as part of the academy, and we will see what happens. But the support here has been incredible to see at the moment. Thank you all. »
The financing problem is recurrent in promotional formulas, with some drivers only participating in certain events of the season due to a lack of budget. According to estimates, it would take 1 to 2 million euros to enter Formula 2, a figure that can even increase for the larger teams, which is one of the biggest obstacles in the prelude to Formula 1. Williams has not yet spoken on this matter.
For ART GP, it is now urgent to find a replacement for him very quickly, since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place this weekend and Zak O’Sullivan will not be able to participate. On this occasion, the Frenchman Victor Martins will have a new teammate.
